Ranging priority indication

ABSTRACT

This disclosure relates to techniques for performing ranging wireless communication including prioritization. A first wireless device may transmit a request for ranging services to a second wireless device. The first wireless device may transmit an indication of a ranging priority to the second wireless device. The second wireless device may determine a granted ranging priority. The first and second wireless device may perform ranging communication according to the granted ranging priority.

PRIORITY CLAIM

This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No.16/731,171, entitled “Ranging Priority Information,” filed Dec. 31,2019, which is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No.16/155,464, entitled “Ranging Priority Information,” filed Oct. 9, 2018,which claims priority to U.S. provisional patent application Ser. No.62/694,654, entitled “Ranging Priority Information,” filed Jul. 6, 2018,each of which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety asthough fully and completely set forth herein.

The claims in the instant application are different than those of theparent application or other related applications. The Applicanttherefore rescinds any disclaimer of claim scope made in the parentapplication or any predecessor application in relation to the instantapplication. The Examiner is therefore advised that any such previousdisclaimer and the cited references that it was made to avoid, may needto be revisited. Further, any disclaimer made in the instant applicationshould not be read into or against the parent application or otherrelated applications.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present application relates to wireless communication, including totechniques for performing ranging wireless communication.

DESCRIPTION OF THE RELATED ART

Wireless communication systems are rapidly growing in usage. Further,wireless communication technology has evolved from voice-onlycommunications to also include the transmission of data, such asInternet and multimedia content.

Mobile electronic devices may take the form of smart phones or tabletsthat a user typically carries. Wearable devices (also referred to asaccessory devices) are a newer form of mobile electronic device, oneexample being smart watches. Additionally, low-cost low-complexitywireless devices intended for stationary or nomadic deployment are alsoproliferating as part of the developing “Internet of Things”. In otherwords, there is an increasingly wide range of desired devicecomplexities, capabilities, traffic patterns, and other characteristics.

One use case for wireless communication includes ranging communication.Ranging can provide the distance between one wireless device andanother. However, existing wireless communication technologies may notprovide a means to prioritize between ranging requests (e.g., of variousdevices). Accordingly, improvements in the field are desired.

SUMMARY

Embodiments are presented herein of, inter alia, systems, apparatuses,and methods for wireless devices performing ranging sessions.

According to the techniques described herein, wireless rangingsessions/measurements may be performed in a manner that prioritizesranging requests according to the needs of a device initiating theranging request and provides a mechanism for reducing (e.g.,unnecessary) ranging sessions that may not satisfy the needs of theinitiating device, at least according to some embodiments. Thus, thesetechniques may improve performance of ranging and reduce over the airtraffic and medium congestion.

The techniques described herein may be implemented in and/or used with anumber of different types of devices, including but not limited tocellular phones, tablet computers, accessory and/or wearable computingdevices, portable media players, vehicles, access points and otherwireless local area network equipment, cellular base stations and othercellular network infrastructure equipment, servers, and any of variousother computing devices.

This summary is intended to provide a brief overview of some of thesubject matter described in this document. Accordingly, it will beappreciated that the above-described features are merely examples andshould not be construed to narrow the scope or spirit of the subjectmatter described herein in any way. Other features, aspects, andadvantages of the subject matter described herein will become apparentfrom the following Detailed Description, Figures, and Claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

A better understanding of the present subject matter can be obtainedwhen the following detailed description of the embodiments is consideredin conjunction with the following drawings.

FIG. 1 illustrates an example wireless communication system, accordingto some embodiments;

FIGS. 2 and 3 are block diagrams illustrating example wireless devices,according to some embodiments;

FIG. 4 is a flowchart diagram illustrating an exemplary method forperforming ranging wireless communication, according to someembodiments;

FIG. 5 is a communication flow diagram illustrating an example sequencefor a negotiation phase of a ranging session, according to someembodiments; and

FIGS. 6 and 7 are tables illustrating potential example ranging priorityindication schemes, according to some embodiments.

While the features described herein are susceptible to variousmodifications and alternative forms, specific embodiments thereof areshown by way of example in the drawings and are herein described indetail. It should be understood, however, that the drawings and detaileddescription thereto are not intended to be limiting to the particularform disclosed, but on the contrary, the intention is to cover allmodifications, equivalents and alternatives falling within the spiritand scope of the subject matter as defined by the appended claims.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

Terminology

The following are definitions of terms used in this disclosure:

Memory Medium—Any of various types of non-transitory memory devices orstorage devices. The term “memory medium” is intended to include aninstallation medium, e.g., a CD-ROM, floppy disks, or tape device; acomputer system memory or random access memory such as DRAM, DDR RAM,SRAM, EDO RAM, Rambus RAM, etc.; a non-volatile memory such as a Flash,magnetic media, e.g., a hard drive, or optical storage; registers, orother similar types of memory elements, etc. The memory medium mayinclude other types of non-transitory memory as well or combinationsthereof. In addition, the memory medium may be located in a firstcomputer system in which the programs are executed, or may be located ina second different computer system which connects to the first computersystem over a network, such as the Internet. In the latter instance, thesecond computer system may provide program instructions to the firstcomputer for execution. The term “memory medium” may include two or morememory mediums which may reside in different locations, e.g., indifferent computer systems that are connected over a network. The memorymedium may store program instructions (e.g., embodied as computerprograms) that may be executed by one or more processors.

Carrier Medium—a memory medium as described above, as well as a physicaltransmission medium, such as a bus, network, and/or other physicaltransmission medium that conveys signals such as electrical,electromagnetic, or digital signals.

Programmable Hardware Element—includes various hardware devicescomprising multiple programmable function blocks connected via aprogrammable interconnect. Examples include FPGAs (Field ProgrammableGate Arrays), PLDs (Programmable Logic Devices), FPOAs (FieldProgrammable Object Arrays), and CPLDs (Complex PLDs). The programmablefunction blocks may range from fine grained (combinatorial logic or lookup tables) to coarse grained (arithmetic logic units or processorcores). A programmable hardware element may also be referred to as“reconfigurable logic”.

Computer System—any of various types of computing or processing systems,including a personal computer system (PC), mainframe computer system,workstation, network appliance, Internet appliance, personal digitalassistant (PDA), television system, grid computing system, or otherdevice or combinations of devices. In general, the term “computersystem” can be broadly defined to encompass any device (or combinationof devices) having at least one processor that executes instructionsfrom a memory medium.

User Equipment (UE) (or “UE Device”)—any of various types of computersystems devices which are mobile or portable and which performs wirelesscommunications. Examples of UE devices include mobile telephones orsmart phones (e.g., iPhone™, Android™-based phones), portable gamingdevices (e.g., Nintendo DS™, PlayStation Portable™, Gameboy Advance™,iPhone™), laptops, wearable devices (e.g. smart watch, smart glasses),PDAs, portable Internet devices, music players, data storage devices, orother handheld devices, etc. In general, the term “UE” or “UE device”can be broadly defined to encompass any electronic, computing, and/ortelecommunications device (or combination of devices) which is easilytransported by a user and capable of wireless communication.

Wireless Device—any of various types of computer system devices whichperforms wireless communications. A wireless device can be portable (ormobile) or may be stationary or fixed at a certain location. A UE is anexample of a wireless device.

Communication Device—any of various types of computer systems or devicesthat perform communications, where the communications can be wired orwireless. A communication device can be portable (or mobile) or may bestationary or fixed at a certain location. A wireless device is anexample of a communication device. A UE is another example of acommunication device. A communication device may be referred to as astation or STA.

Base Station or Access Point (AP)—The term “Base Station” has the fullbreadth of its ordinary meaning, and at least includes a wirelesscommunication station installed at a fixed location and used tocommunicate as part of a wireless telephone system or radio system. Theterm “access point” is used similarly.

Link Budget Limited—includes the full breadth of its ordinary meaning,and at least includes a characteristic of a wireless device (e.g., a UE)which exhibits limited communication capabilities, or limited power,relative to a device that is not link budget limited, or relative todevices for which a radio access technology (RAT) standard has beendeveloped. A wireless device that is link budget limited may experiencerelatively limited reception and/or transmission capabilities, which maybe due to one or more factors such as device design, device size,battery size, antenna size or design, transmit power, receive power,current transmission medium conditions, and/or other factors. Suchdevices may be referred to herein as “link budget limited” (or “linkbudget constrained”) devices. A device may be inherently link budgetlimited due to its size, battery power, and/or transmit/receive power.For example, a smart watch that is communicating over LTE or LTE-A witha base station may be inherently link budget limited due to its reducedtransmit/receive power and/or reduced antenna. Wearable devices, such assmart watches, are generally link budget limited devices. Alternatively,a device may not be inherently link budget limited, e.g., may havesufficient size, battery power, and/or transmit/receive power for normalcommunications over LTE or LTE-A, but may be temporarily link budgetlimited due to current communication conditions, e.g., a smart phonebeing at the edge of a cell, etc. It is noted that the term “link budgetlimited” includes or encompasses power limitations, and thus a powerlimited device may be considered a link budget limited device.

Processing Element (or Processor)—refers to various elements orcombinations of elements. Processing elements include, for example,circuits such as an ASIC (Application Specific Integrated Circuit),portions or circuits of individual processor cores, entire processorcores, individual processors, programmable hardware devices such as afield programmable gate array (FPGA), and/or larger portions of systemsthat include multiple processors.

Wi-Fi—The term “Wi-Fi” has the full breadth of its ordinary meaning, andat least includes a wireless communication network or RAT that isserviced by wireless LAN (WLAN) access points and which providesconnectivity through these access points to the Internet. Most modernWi-Fi networks (or WLAN networks) are based on IEEE 802.11 standards andare marketed under the name “Wi-Fi”. A Wi-Fi (WLAN) network is differentfrom a cellular network. Wi-Fi or WLAN may refer to technology based onIEEE 802.11 wireless standards such as 802.11a, 802.11.b, 802.11g,802.11n, 802.11-2012, 802.11ac, 802.11ad, 802.11.ax, 802.11ay, 802.11az,and/or other IEEE 802.11 standards.

Automatically—refers to an action or operation performed by a computersystem (e.g., software executed by the computer system) or device (e.g.,circuitry, programmable hardware elements, ASICs, etc.), without userinput directly specifying or performing the action or operation. Thusthe term “automatically” is in contrast to an operation being manuallyperformed or specified by the user, where the user provides input todirectly perform the operation. An automatic procedure may be initiatedby input provided by the user, but the subsequent actions that areperformed “automatically” are not specified by the user, i.e., are notperformed “manually”, where the user specifies each action to perform.For example, a user filling out an electronic form by selecting eachfield and providing input specifying information (e.g., by typinginformation, selecting check boxes, radio selections, etc.) is fillingout the form manually, even though the computer system must update theform in response to the user actions. The form may be automaticallyfilled out by the computer system where the computer system (e.g.,software executing on the computer system) analyzes the fields of theform and fills in the form without any user input specifying the answersto the fields. As indicated above, the user may invoke the automaticfilling of the form, but is not involved in the actual filling of theform (e.g., the user is not manually specifying answers to fields butrather they are being automatically completed). The presentspecification provides various examples of operations beingautomatically performed in response to actions the user has taken.

Configured to—Various components may be described as “configured to”perform a task or tasks. In such contexts, “configured to” is a broadrecitation generally meaning “having structure that” performs the taskor tasks during operation. As such, the component can be configured toperform the task even when the component is not currently performingthat task (e.g., a set of electrical conductors may be configured toelectrically connect a module to another module, even when the twomodules are not connected). In some contexts, “configured to” may be abroad recitation of structure generally meaning “having circuitry that”performs the task or tasks during operation. As such, the component canbe configured to perform the task even when the component is notcurrently on. In general, the circuitry that forms the structurecorresponding to “configured to” may include hardware circuits.

Various components may be described as performing a task or tasks, forconvenience in the description. Such descriptions should be interpretedas including the phrase “configured to.” Reciting a component that isconfigured to perform one or more tasks is expressly intended not toinvoke 35 U.S.C. § 112, paragraph six, interpretation for thatcomponent.

Acronyms

FTM: Fine Timing Measurement

HE: High Efficiency

HEz: High efficiency ranging for 802.11az

VHT: Very High Throughput

VHTz: VHT ranging for 802.11az

iSTA: Initiating STA

rSTA: Responding STA

NGP: Next generation positioning

FIG. 1 —Wireless Communication System

FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary (and simplified) wireless communicationsystem in which aspects of this disclosure may be implemented. It isnoted that the system of FIG. 1 is merely one example of a possiblesystem, and embodiments of this disclosure may be implemented in any ofvarious systems, as desired.

As shown, the exemplary wireless communication system includes a(“first”) wireless device 102 in communication with another (“second”)wireless device. The first wireless device 102 and the second wirelessdevice 104 may communicate wirelessly using any of a variety of wirelesscommunication techniques, potentially including ranging wirelesscommunication techniques.

As one possibility, the first wireless device 102 and the secondwireless device 104 may perform ranging using wireless local areanetworking (WLAN) communication technology (e.g., IEEE 802.11/Wi-Fibased communication) and/or techniques based on WLAN wirelesscommunication. One or both of the wireless device 102 and the wirelessdevice 104 may also be capable of communicating via one or moreadditional wireless communication protocols, such as any of Bluetooth(BT), Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE), near field communication (NFC), GSM,UMTS (WCDMA, TDSCDMA), LTE, LTE-Advanced (LTE-A), NR, 3GPP2 CDMA2000(e.g., 1×RTT, 1×EV-DO, HRPD, eHRPD), Wi-MAX, GPS, etc.

The wireless devices 102 and 104 may be any of a variety of types ofwireless device. As one possibility, one or more of the wireless devices102 and/or 104 may be a substantially portable wireless user equipment(UE) device, such as a smart phone, handheld device, a wearable devicesuch as a smart watch, a tablet, a motor vehicle, or virtually any typeof wireless device. As another possibility, one or more of the wirelessdevices 102 and/or 104 may be a substantially stationary device, such asa set top box, media player (e.g., an audio or audiovisual device),gaming console, desktop computer, appliance, door, access point, basestation, or any of a variety of other types of device.

Each of the wireless devices 102 and 104 may include wirelesscommunication circuitry configured to facilitate the performance ofwireless communication, which may include various digital and/or analogradio frequency (RF) components, a processor that is configured toexecute program instructions stored in memory, a programmable hardwareelement such as a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), and/or any ofvarious other components. The wireless device 102 and/or the wirelessdevice 104 may perform any of the method embodiments described herein,or any portion of any of the method embodiments described herein, usingany or all of such components.

Each of the wireless devices 102 and 104 may include one or moreantennas for communicating using one or more wireless communicationprotocols. In some cases, one or more parts of a receive and/or transmitchain may be shared between multiple wireless communication standards;for example, a device might be configured to communicate using either ofBluetooth or Wi-Fi using partially or entirely shared wirelesscommunication circuitry (e.g., using a shared radio or at least sharedradio components). The shared communication circuitry may include asingle antenna, or may include multiple antennas (e.g., for MIMO) forperforming wireless communications. Alternatively, a device may includeseparate transmit and/or receive chains (e.g., including separateantennas and other radio components) for each wireless communicationprotocol with which it is configured to communicate. As a furtherpossibility, a device may include one or more radios or radio componentswhich are shared between multiple wireless communication protocols, andone or more radios or radio components which are used exclusively by asingle wireless communication protocol. For example, a device mightinclude a shared radio for communicating using one or more of LTE,CDMA2000 1×RTT, GSM, and/or 5G NR, and separate radios for communicatingusing each of Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. Other configurations are alsopossible.

As previously noted, aspects of this disclosure may be implemented inconjunction with the wireless communication system of FIG. 1 . Forexample, the wireless devices 102 and/or 104 may perform one or moreranging wireless communication techniques or features describedsubsequently herein with respect to the Figures. By utilizing suchtechniques (and/or other techniques described herein), the wirelessdevice(s) may (at least according to some embodiments) be able toachieve prioritized ranging communication. The wireless devices 102and/or 104 may be referred to as STAs.

FIGS. 2-3 —Exemplary Device Block Diagrams

FIG. 2 illustrates an exemplary wireless device 200 (e.g., correspondingto wireless devices 102 and/or 104) that may be configured for use inconjunction with various aspects of the present disclosure. The device200 may be any of a variety of types of device and may be configured toperform any of a variety of types of functionality. The device 200 maybe a substantially portable device (e.g., smart phone or accessorydevice, among various possibilities) or may be a substantiallystationary device, potentially including any of a variety of types ofdevice (e.g., an access point or base station, among variouspossibilities). The device 200 may be configured to perform one or moreranging wireless communication techniques or features, such as any ofthe techniques or features illustrated and/or described subsequentlyherein with respect to any or all of the Figures.

As shown, the device 200 may include a processing element 202. Theprocessing element may include or be coupled to one or more memoryelements. For example, the device 200 may include one or more memorymedia (e.g., memory 206), which may include any of a variety of types ofmemory and may serve any of a variety of functions. For example, memory206 could be RAM serving as a system memory for processing element 202.Other types and functions are also possible.

Additionally, the device 200 may include wireless communicationcircuitry 230. The wireless communication circuitry may include any of avariety of communication elements (e.g., antenna for wirelesscommunication, analog and/or digital communicationcircuitry/controllers, etc.) and may enable the device to wirelesslycommunicate using one or more wireless communication protocols.

Note that in some cases, the wireless communication circuitry 230 mayinclude its own processing element (e.g., a baseband processor), e.g.,in addition to the processing element 202. For example, the processingelement 202 might be an ‘application processor’ whose primary functionmay be to support application layer operations in the device 200, whilethe wireless communication circuitry 230 might be a ‘baseband processor’whose primary function may be to support baseband layer operations(e.g., to facilitate wireless communication between the device 200 andother devices) in the device 200. In other words, in some cases thedevice 200 may include multiple processing elements (e.g., may be amulti-processor device). Other configurations (e.g., instead of or inaddition to an application processor/baseband processor configuration)utilizing a multi-processor architecture are also possible.

The device 200 may additionally include any of a variety of othercomponents (not shown) for implementing device functionality, dependingon the intended functionality of the device 200, which may includefurther processing and/or memory elements (e.g., audio processingcircuitry), one or more power supply elements (which may rely on batterypower and/or an external power source) user interface elements (e.g.,display, speaker, microphone, camera, keyboard, mouse, touchscreen,etc.), and/or any of various other components.

The components of the device 200, such as processing element 202, memory206, and wireless communication circuitry 230, may be operativelycoupled via one or more interconnection interfaces, which may includeany of a variety of types of interface, possibly including a combinationof multiple types of interface. As one example, a USB high-speedinter-chip (HSIC) interface may be provided for inter-chipcommunications between processing elements. Alternatively (or inaddition), a universal asynchronous receiver transmitter (UART)interface, a serial peripheral interface (SPI), inter-integrated circuit(I2C), system management bus (SMBus), and/or any of a variety of othercommunication interfaces may be used for communications between variousdevice components. Other types of interfaces (e.g., intra-chipinterfaces for communication within processing element 202, peripheralinterfaces for communication with peripheral components within orexternal to device 200, etc.) may also be provided as part of device200.

FIG. 3 illustrates one possible block diagram of a wireless device 300,which may be one possible exemplary implementation of the device 200illustrated in FIG. 2 . As shown, the wireless device 300 may include asystem on chip (SOC) 301, which may include portions for variouspurposes. For example, as shown, the SOC 301 may include processor(s)302 which may execute program instructions for the wireless device 300,and display circuitry 304 which may perform graphics processing andprovide display signals to the display 360. The SOC 301 may also includemotion sensing circuitry 370 which may detect motion of the wirelessdevice 300, for example using a gyroscope, accelerometer, and/or any ofvarious other motion sensing components. The processor(s) 302 may alsobe coupled to memory management unit (MMU) 340, which may be configuredto receive addresses from the processor(s) 302 and translate thoseaddresses to locations in memory (e.g., memory 306, read only memory(ROM) 350, flash memory 310). The MMU 340 may be configured to performmemory protection and page table translation or set up. In someembodiments, the MMU 340 may be included as a portion of theprocessor(s) 302.

As shown, the SOC 301 may be coupled to various other circuits of thewireless device 300. For example, the wireless device 300 may includevarious types of memory (e.g., including NAND flash 310), a connectorinterface 320 (e.g., for coupling to a computer system, dock, chargingstation, etc.), the display 360, and wireless communication circuitry330 (e.g., for LTE, LTE-A, CDMA2000, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, NFC, GPS, etc.).

The wireless device 300 may include at least one antenna, and in someembodiments multiple antennas 335 a and 335 b, for performing wirelesscommunication with base stations and/or other devices. For example, thewireless device 300 may use antennas 335 a and 335 b to perform thewireless communication. As noted above, the wireless device 300 may insome embodiments be configured to communicate wirelessly using aplurality of wireless communication standards or radio accesstechnologies (RATs).

The wireless communication circuitry 330 may include Wi-Fi Logic 332, aCellular Modem 334, and Bluetooth Logic 336. The Wi-Fi Logic 332 is forenabling the wireless device 300 to perform Wi-Fi communications, e.g.,on an 802.11 network. The Bluetooth Logic 336 is for enabling thewireless device 300 to perform Bluetooth communications. The cellularmodem 334 may be capable of performing cellular communication accordingto one or more cellular communication technologies. Some or allcomponents of the wireless communication circuitry 330 may be used forranging communications, e.g., using WLAN, Bluetooth, and/or cellularcommunications.

As described herein, wireless device 300 may include hardware andsoftware components for implementing embodiments of this disclosure. Forexample, one or more components of the wireless communication circuitry330 (e.g., Wi-Fi Logic 332) of the wireless device 300 may be configuredto implement part or all of the methods described herein, e.g., by aprocessor executing program instructions stored on a memory medium(e.g., a non-transitory computer-readable memory medium), a processorconfigured as an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array), and/or usingdedicated hardware components, which may include an ASIC (ApplicationSpecific Integrated Circuit).

Wireless Ranging

Two wireless devices may engage in a ranging operation so that at leastone of the wireless devices will be able to determine or estimate therange (e.g., distance) between the two devices, e.g., by measuring theamount of time that it takes to send messages between the devices. Forexample, the Fine Timing Measurement (FTM) protocol specified in802.11-2016 may provide a time-of-flight based mechanism to performranging between two 802.11/WiFi devices, according to some embodiments.In FTM, range may be determined as a function of several time instances(t1, t2, t3 and t4), where t1, t2, t3, and t4 correspond to the time ofdeparture and time of arrival of measurement frames sent in bothdirections (e.g., uplink and downlink) between the two devices (e.g.,the two STAs). Standards under development (e.g., 802.11az) may aim toimprove and/or optimize the ranging protocols for a variety of usecases, including very high throughput (VHT), high efficiency (HE),and/or 60 GHz communications, among others. Further, improvements toscalability and security may be desired.

In some embodiments, the ranging protocol (e.g., within 802.11az) mayinclude a common negotiation phase that may precede a rangingmeasurement phase of various ranging modes and/or packet sequences(e.g., FTM, High efficiency ranging for 802.11az (HEz), or VHT rangingfor 802.11az (VHTz); it should be noted that these may be working namesfor various ranging modes, that these names may change, and that otherranging modes may be used). In the negotiation phase, an initiating STA(iSTA) may send an initial measurement request frame (e.g., an FTMmeasurement request frame, e.g., a negotiation frame). The measurementrequest frame may include a set of ranging parameters. For example, themeasurement request frame may include scheduling parameters in one ormore FTM parameters element or a set of range measurement parameterelements in a next generation positioning (NGP) parameters element, etc.The ranging parameters may describe the bandwidth or bandwidthsavailable for ranging, the bandwidth measured by the iSTA, radiofrequency (RF) related parameters, one or more modes of rangingsupported by the iSTA, and/or ranging security requirements, among otherpossibilities. The frame contents may describe the iSTA's capability andavailability for ranging measurement exchange.

A responding STA (rSTA) may send an acknowledgement (ACK) for themeasurement request frame. The rSTA may also send a response frame(e.g., a first FTM measurement frame). In some embodiments, themeasurement frame may be sent within milliseconds, e.g., 10 ms, ofreceiving the initial measurement request frame. Note that otherresponse times or time delays are possible (e.g., 5 ms, 15 ms, tens ofmilliseconds, hundreds of milliseconds, etc.). In some embodiments, themeasurement frame may include a set of ranging parameters to describethe rSTA's capability and schedule (e.g., availability) for rangingmeasurement exchange. The measurement frame may indicate the rSTA'schoices of parameters, e.g., the parameters indicated in the measurementframe may be consistent with the parameters indicated within themeasurement request frame. The selected parameters may be indicated inone or more FTM parameter elements, NGP parameter elements, etc.

In some embodiments, different iSTAs may have different requirements (orpreferences, etc.) related to the timing of a ranging session, e.g., howquickly ranging is to be performed. For example, some iSTAs may be moresensitive to (e.g., may be more negatively impacted by) delays thanother iSTAs. In other words, one iSTA (e.g., for any reason) may place ahigh priority on determining its range promptly, while another iSTA maynot be adversely impacted by a delay. This ranging time sensitivity bereferred to as “ranging priority” herein, although other terms may alsobe used. Some exemplary scenarios in which an iSTA may have a highranging priority include, but are not limited to:

Emergency call location identification, e.g., in a highly populated arealike a stadium;

Ranging and location information requirement if the battery of the iSTAis below a threshold (e.g., low or critically low, such as below 1%, 5%,10%, etc. remaining battery power);

Real-time gaming scenarios; and/or

Locating lost devices (e.g., headphones or other accessory devices)where high priority is important due to a relatively small battery(e.g., of the accessory device).

Current standards (e.g., 802.11-2016 or current drafts of 802.11az) maynot provide any means for supporting different ranging priorities. Forexample, current standards may not provide for any indication from aniSTA to an rSTA of ranging priority. Accordingly, an rSTA may not manageits resource allocation and schedule ranging activities according to theranging priority of any iSTA(s).

FIG. 4 —Exemplary Method for Performing Ranging Techniques

FIG. 4 is a flowchart diagram illustrating a method for performingranging wireless communication incorporating ranging priority, accordingto some embodiments. In various embodiments, some of the elements of themethods shown may be performed concurrently, in a different order thanshown, may be substituted for by other method elements, or may beomitted. Additional method elements may also be performed as desired.

Aspects of the method of FIG. 4 may be implemented by a wireless device,such as the wireless devices 102, 104, 200, or 300 illustrated in anddescribed with respect to FIGS. 1-3 , or more generally in conjunctionwith any of the computer systems or devices shown in the Figures, amongother devices, as desired. Note that while at least some elements of themethod of FIG. 4 are described in a manner relating to the use ofcommunication techniques and/or features associated with WLAN, suchdescription is not intended to be limiting to the disclosure, andaspects of the method of FIG. 4 may be used in any suitable wirelesscommunication system, as desired. Further, note that while at least someelements of the method of FIG. 4 are described in a manner relating tothe use of communication techniques and/or features associated withmeasuring range/distance, these techniques can additionally oralternatively be applied to other types of measurements, such asmeasuring direction/angle, location, relative position, etc. In otherwords, these techniques may be applied to any of various spatialmeasurements. As shown, the method may operate as follows.

A first wireless device (e.g., an iSTA) may transmit an indication of arequested ranging (e.g., and/or direction or other spatial measurement)priority and a second wireless device (e.g., an rSTA) may receive theindication (402). The indication may be transmitted with one or moreranging parameters. Referring back to FIG. 1 , the iSTA may be wirelessdevice 102 and the rSTA may be wireless device 104, or vice versa. Insome embodiments, the method of FIG. 4 may be implemented with largernumbers (e.g., three or more) wireless devices (e.g., multiple iSTAsand/or multiple rSTAs), as desired.

The iSTA may determine the ranging priority based on any factor orcombination of factors. For example, the iSTA may consider anycombination of the following exemplary factors, among variouspossibilities.

One possible factor may be one or more applications executing on theiSTA. For example, an emergency call may be associated with a highranging priority. In contrast, an application for routine logging oflocation, e.g., to build/maintain a location data base may be associatedwith low ranging priority.

Another factor may be the status (e.g., upcoming traffic, etc.) of anyapplications executing on the device. For example, a real time gamedetermining location of players may be associated with a high rangingpriority; thus, the ranging priority may depend on the status of thegame (e.g., location may not be needed at all times).

Another possible factor may be various settings or user preferences.

Another possible factor may be time. For example, time of day, day ofweek, and/or month of year may be considered. Additionally, oralternatively, the time since a last ranging session with one or morerSTAs (e.g., which may be the same or different than the rSTA to whichthe current indication is sent) may be considered.

Another possible factor may be location. For example, some locationswith crowds, hazards, rapid transit, etc., may be associated with highranging priority; similarly, proximity to exits of a building (e.g., inthe case of theft deterrent devices) may also be associated with highranging priority. Other locations may not be associated with highranging priority. Location may be determined in any manner, e.g., basedon a usual or last known location of the iSTA, etc.

Another possible factor may be motion. Motion of the iSTA may bedetermined based on changes/trends in past ranging measurements or basedon data/measurements of other sensors or techniques such as motionsensors, global positioning system, detection of new/different wirelessnetworks, etc. For example, a theft deterrent device that detectsunexpected motion may be associated with high ranging priority.Similarly, motion of a device associated with the iSTA may beconsidered. For example, an iSTA that is paired with a companion device(such as an accessory device paired via Bluetooth, etc.) may considermotion of (or detected by) the companion device.

Another possible factor may be proximity to a user of the iSTA. Forexample, an accessory device such as a smart watch may determine ahigher priority while being worn and a low priority while not beingworn, e.g., or vice versa. Such priority may potentially further dependon other factors, such as whether or not a foreground application isexecuting on the accessory device, etc.

Another possible factor may be battery level/charge (e.g., limitedbattery life of the iSTA may be associated with high ranging priority).Similarly, battery level of an associated/companion device may beconsidered.

Another possible factor may be connection status (e.g., to any wirelessnetworks according to any wireless technologies). For example, anadditional network connection may provide alternative means ofdetermining location, and thus may suggest lower ranging priority.

Another possible factor may be availability of other means of detectingposition and/or motion. For example, availability of GPS,accelerometers, etc. may be associated with lower ranging priority,according to some embodiments.

Another possible factor may be identity of the device and/or user. Forexample, some or all devices of public safety personnel may beassociated with high ranging priority.

Another possible factor may be status of other devices (e.g., based onknowledge of the position of the iSTA relative to other iSTAs).

Another possible factor may be communication capability of the iSTA.

Any factor or combination of the above factors may be considered, amongvarious possibilities. Other factors may also be considered.

In some embodiments, the indication may occur during a rangingnegotiation phase, such as in a measurement request frame, e.g., aninitial FTM measurement request frame (e.g., negotiation frame)transmitted from an iSTA to an rSTA. The indication of ranging prioritymay be transmitted with a request for ranging services (e.g., a requestfor a ranging session) with the rSTA, or may be transmitted separatelyfrom such a request. However, the indication may be transmitted at anytime, e.g., the indication may be indicated at any time that the iSTAdetermines its ranging priority, determines a change in rangingpriority, determines any (e.g., other) ranging parameter, determines achange in any ranging parameter (e.g., an updated bandwidth), receivesfeedback (e.g., or any message) from the rSTA, etc.

In some embodiments, the indication of ranging priority may not betransmitted during ranging negotiation, e.g., it may be transmittedbefore or after ranging negotiation. For example, an iSTA may transmit astanding indication of ranging priority (e.g., that may last untilchanged), and may request ranging services (e.g., initiate rangingnegotiation) separately (e.g., on a periodic or as needed basis).Alternatively, the indication may be transmitted after rangingnegotiation, e.g., based on a change in ranging priority or in responseto a query, e.g., from the rSTA.

The indication may be transmitted in any manner, e.g., the indicationmay be transmitted in any message (e.g., container) or combination ofmessages. For example, a container of such a ranging priority indicationcan be or include either a field, or a subfield of either a frame, aninformation element (IE), or an information sub-element. The indicationmay be transmitted in signaling associated with any layer. For example,the indication may be transmitted as (e.g., a component of) a mediaaccess control (MAC), logical link control (LLC), or physical (PHY)layer message. The indication may be or comprise a MAC service data unit(MSDU), MAC protocol data unit (MPDU), or an aggregated MPDU oraggregated MSDU. As used herein, the term “ranging priority field” mayrefer to any such container.

The indication may be transmitted in any format, e.g., in any number ofbits or combination of bit fields. For example, the ranging priority maybe two bits in duration and the values of the ranging priority may beset according to FIG. 6 (described below), where the ranging priorityvalue of 0 indicates the highest time sensitivity and the rangingsession should be executed as soon as possible, and a value of 3indicates the lowest time sensitivity and is not time critical.Alternatively, the ranging priority may be one bit in duration (e.g., asshown in FIG. 7 , described below), where the ranging priority value of0 may indicate a high time sensitivity and the ranging session should beexecuted as soon as possible, and a value of 1 may indicate a low timesensitivity and is not time critical.

In some embodiments, the iSTA may indicate its ranging priority byspecifying the time when the ranging session needs to be complete (e.g.,or to start, or to reach any other milestone as desired). For example, aranging priority value may be specified in accordance with the desiredranging completion time (e.g., 2 seconds, among various possibilities,e.g., based on any factor(s) used to determine ranging priority). Forexample, the indication may represent a difference measured from thetime of the transmission of an initial measurement request (e.g., or ofthe indication of ranging priority) to the time of a successfultransmission of a report containing the measurement result or of a firstor last measurement frame associated with generating the measurements,etc.

In some embodiments, the iSTA may include multiple indications in theindication of ranging priority. For example, the indication may includeboth a level (e.g., high, medium, low, etc. priority, e.g., as in theexamples of FIGS. 6 and 7 ) and a requested timing (e.g., completionwithin some number of seconds, etc.). The indication may alternatively,or additionally, include a reason/justification, e.g., the indicationmay include a ranging priority level and a basis for that prioritization(e.g., safety, theft, gaming, battery, etc.). The indication mayalternatively, or additionally, include other information (e.g., aboutoutstanding or ongoing ranging activities with other rSTAs, otheractivities of the iSTA, etc.).

In some embodiments, in response to a determination that the iSTA needsto update its ranging priority, it may terminate an existing rangingsession (and/or ranging negotiation) and start a new rangingsession/negotiation.

In some embodiments, an iSTA may indicate that it does not have (e.g.,or does not know, or has no preferences for) its ranging priority by oneor more of: setting the ranging priority indication (e.g., field) to aspecific value (e.g., a value configured to mean the absence of aranging priority indication), and/or omitting the ranging priority fieldfrom the container, e.g., a negotiation frame, e.g., FTM request frame.

The rSTA may determine how/if to implement the requested ranging (e.g.,and/or direction or other spatial measurement) priority (404). In otherwords, the rSTA may determine an implemented/granted ranging priority.For any request for ranging services, the granted priority may be basedat least in part on the requested ranging priority. Further, the grantedranging priority may be the same as the requested priority or it may bedifferent. For example, the rSTA may consider factors including relevantpolicies or settings guiding its prioritization of ranging requests(e.g., relative to other ranging requests and/or to other activities).Similarly, the rSTA may consider the (e.g., requested and/or granted)ranging priority of other pending requests for ranging services and/orongoing ranging sessions. It will be appreciated that although somequalitative descriptions (e.g., high, low, etc.) of ranging priority areused herein, quantitative values could also or alternatively be used.For example, on a scale of 1-10, a “high” ranging priority could be anypriority of 7 or greater; a low priority may be 3 or less, etc. Notethat these values are illustrative only.

In some embodiments, multiple rSTAs may coordinate (e.g., directly, orwith assistance or instruction from another network device) toprioritize one or more ranging sessions associated with any rangingpriority (priorities). For example, multiple rSTAs may cooperate toperform ranging sessions with various iSTAs (e.g., a theft deterrentsystem in a department store may coordinate ranging sessions between anynumber of iSTA and rSTA devices, e.g., so that ranges between thevarious devices are periodically monitored and refreshed).

The rSTA may prioritize one or more ranging requests according to thegranted or indicated ranging priority (and/or additional or alternativefactors) in any of various ways. In some embodiments, the rSTA mayallocate resources to schedule ranging sessions according to the (e.g.,granted) ranging priorities of one or more iSTAs, e.g., based on therelationships between the ranging priorities, e.g., based on comparingthe granted ranging priority to at least one relative granted rangingpriority of at least one other ranging measurement request. For example,a ranging request from an iSTA with a higher granted ranging prioritymay be scheduled earlier than the iSTAs with a lower priority. Asanother example, an rSTA may allocate its resource for its non-rangingactivity (e.g., data service) and ranging activity according to theranging priority indication from an iSTA. In other words, a high rangingpriority ranging session may take precedence over some or all datatraffic, while a low ranging priority ranging session may not (e.g., maywait until at least some data traffic has been served).

In some embodiments, an rSTA may reserve certain resources (e.g., intime and/or frequency) for serving high ranging priority rangingsessions and may allocate (e.g., schedule) these resources to suchranging sessions as needed. Low priority ranging sessions may bescheduled to other (e.g., non-reserved) resources. Further, such an rSTAmay allocate the reserved resources to other uses (e.g., data and/or lowpriority ranging sessions) to the extent that resources are availableafter serving high priority ranging sessions. In some embodiments, anrSTA may interrupt (e.g., cancel and/or delay) one or more ongoing orupcoming transmissions (e.g., of data and/or ranging, e.g., in theuplink and/or downlink directions) in order to provide resources for ahigh ranging priority ranging session or sessions.

In some embodiments, to prioritize ranging requests, an rSTA maymaintain (e.g., and periodically/continually update) a queue (e.g.,ordered list) of ranging sessions/requests and may add, move, or deleteranging sessions/requests in the queue based on the ranging priority ofthe sessions/requests. For example, in response to receiving a new (orchanged) request for a ranging session(s), the rSTA may adjust the listto accommodate the new or changed request based on its granted rangingpriority (e.g., relative to the ranging priority of other sessions inthe queue). In other words, a new ranging request may be added to thequeue in a position determined based on its granted ranging priority,e.g., relative to other requests in the queue. In some embodiments, thequeue may have a limited capacity (e.g., so that only a certain numberof ranging sessions may be queued at a time, e.g., 10 ranging sessions,among various possibilities) and new or changed ranging session requestsmay only be added to the queue if they can be accommodated withoutremoving any higher priority ranging session from the queue. The rSTAmay also update or modify the queue in response to other information,e.g., in response to knowledge that an iSTA has (or has not) completed aranging session with another rSTA, in response to changing policies orpriorities (e.g., urgent data traffic), or in response to changingnetwork conditions, etc. The rSTA may perform ranging measurements basedon the queue, e.g., sequentially.

In some embodiments, the rSTA may schedule its activities (e.g., datatraffic and ranging sessions) to accommodate the requested rangingpriority of the largest number of ranging sessions possible.

In some embodiments, the rSTA may schedule its activities (e.g., datatraffic and ranging sessions) to ensure that all (or as close aspossible/practical) high ranging priority ranging sessions are honoredat the requested priority. The rSTA may provide service to otherfunctions (e.g., data traffic and/or low ranging priority rangingsessions) only after all high priority ranging sessions are completed.In other words, at least some data traffic may be scheduled (e.g.,allocated resources) based on the granted ranging priority.

In some embodiments, the rSTA may schedule its activities so that aranging session is completed in accordance with the iSTA's priorityrequirement, e.g., as indicated by ranging priority indication and aspermitted by the rSTA's resource allocation policy. For example, a newranging session request with a 2 s priority (note that other requestedpriority completion time values are possible) may be scheduled within 2s. As another example, a new ranging session request with the highestlevel of time sensitivity requirement may be given the highest prioritylevel in the rSTA's scheduling and resource allocation. An rSTAaddressing multiple ranging requests may schedule activities (e.g.,including the ranging sessions and/or other activities) to accommodatethe requested priorities according to the rSTA's resource allocationpolicies. However, it should be noted that such scheduling may notguarantee that the requested priorities are achieved, e.g., due toresource limitations such as other traffic on the wireless medium and/orresource allocation policy.

In some embodiments, the rSTA may provide feedback, e.g., to inform theiSTA whether (e.g., and/or how) the rSTA intends to accommodate theiSTA's ranging priority preference. It should be noted that the feedbackmay only indicate intent to accommodate the ranging priority and thusmay not represent a guarantee that the intended priority will actuallybe achieved (e.g., due the nature of WiFi medium access rules and otherfactors, an rSTA may not guarantee whether an iSTA's priority can behonored even if the rSTA intends to).

In some embodiments, the feedback may be or include an estimate of thelikelihood that rSTA may (e.g., may be able to) accommodate indicatedranging priority. For example, the feedback may include an indication ofthe level (e.g., high, low, etc.) of confidence that the rSTA will beable to honor the requested priority or the feedback may include anestimated probability (e.g., a percentage likelihood) of honoring therequested priority.

The feedback may be transmitted in any manner, e.g., in any message(e.g., container) or combination of messages. For example, a containerof such feedback may be or include either a field, or a subfield ofeither a frame, an information element (IE), or an informationsub-element. The feedback may be transmitted in signaling associatedwith any layer. For example, the feedback may be transmitted as (e.g., acomponent of) a media access control (MAC), logical link control (LLC),or physical (PHY) layer message. The feedback may be or comprise a MACservice data unit (MSDU), MAC protocol data unit (MPDU), or anaggregated MPDU or aggregated MSDU. The feedback may be transmitted inany format, e.g., in any number of bits or combination of bit fields.For example, a value of 1 of such a feedback indication may show thatthe rSTA intends to accommodate the iSTA's priority, while a value of 0may show that the rSTA does not intend to accommodate the iSTA'spriority.

In some embodiments, the feedback may be (or include) a request foradditional information, e.g., that the rSTA may use to determinepriority. Thus, the prioritization process (404) may include an exchangeof any number of messages.

In some embodiments, if an rSTA has indicated that it does not intend toaccommodate an iSTA's ranging priority preference (e.g., in response tonegative feedback), an iSTA may decide to either continue the rangingsession or terminate it, e.g., based on the iSTA's internal policyand/or other factors. An iSTA that terminates a ranging session maychoose to restart (e.g., start) a new ranging session (e.g., beginningwith ranging negotiations) with the same rSTA(s) or one or moredifferent rSTAs, or may choose to forego the ranging session (e.g., atthat time). In other words, an iSTA may determine that an rSTA is notable (or likely) to provide a ranging estimate within the time rangethat such an estimate would be useful, and may abort the ranging sessionin response, e.g., the iSTA may withdraw or terminate the rangingmeasurement request. An iSTA that creates a new ranging session maydetermine and indicate the same ranging priority for such new rangingsessions, or potentially a different ranging priority.

In response to positive feedback (e.g., an indication that the rSTAintends to provide the requested ranging priority), the iSTA may proceedto perform ranging measurements.

The iSTA and the rSTA may perform ranging (e.g., and/or direction orother spatial) measurement (406), e.g., in accordance with the rangingprioritization determined in 404, e.g., with the granted rangingpriority. The iSTA and rSTA may exchange any number of measurementframes and may determine the one way and/or round-trip times (e.g., timeof flight) associated with those frames. The iSTA and/or rSTA maycalculate the range (e.g., distance) between the devices based on thetravel time (one way or round-trip) of the measurement frame(s). Forexample, range may be calculated based on an average of any number ofmeasured flight times or based on a minimum flight time, among variouspossibilities. Similarly, a maximum, median, or other percentile (e.g.,30^(th) percentile, etc.) of multiple measurements may be used. Stillfurther, a single time estimate may be used.

In some embodiments, the iSTA and/or rSTA may additionally oralternatively calculate the location of the iSTA (e.g.,position/direction relative to the rSTA) based on angle of arrivaland/or angle of departure estimates as inputs for a location estimate.As with time-based methods, any form of descriptive statistics may beapplied to multiple angle measurements (e.g., an average, etc.) or asingle angle measurement may be used. The ranging priority techniquesdescribed herein may also be applied to such position and/or directionmeasurements. In some embodiments, a priority may be used forposition/direction measurements which may be the same or different froma priority of ranging measurements. The methods of FIG. 4 may applysimilarly to such a direction/position (or any other spatial)measurement prioritization scheme. Time- and angle-based methods toestimate location/range may be combined, e.g., by using an angle-basedmethod to calculate direction and a time-based method to estimatedistance/range. Priorities for direction measurement and rangemeasurement may be the same or they may be different. Any of variousother methods of estimating range and/or location may be used. The iSTAand/or rSTA may use the estimated range and/or location in any way. Forexample, to determine the approximate location of one or more STAs, toactivate a theft deterrent system, etc.

The ranging measurement phase may include any number of range estimates.For example, the ranging measurement phase may result in a single rangeestimate, or multiple estimates. Multiple estimates may be taken asneeded (e.g., until a desired precision is reached). Additionally, oralternatively, multiple estimates may be taken periodically, e.g., onceevery second, once every 5 s, or at any desired period. In someinstances, the periodicity also may vary between some estimates.

The ranging priority may be changed during (e.g., and/or between) theranging measurement sessions. For example, a change in priority may beinitiated by the iSTA indicating a changed ranging priority or by therSTA determining to change its intent to honor the requested rangingpriority. The rSTA may change a granted ranging priority for variousreasons (e.g., due to factors such as changed ranging priorities ofother iSTAs, additional ranging requests, changing data trafficrequirements, etc.).

FIGS. 5-7 and Additional Information

FIGS. 5-7 and the following additional information are provided as beingillustrative of further considerations and possible implementationdetails relating to the method of FIG. 4 . FIGS. 5-7 are not intended tobe limiting to the disclosure as a whole. Numerous variations andalternatives to the details provided herein below are possible andshould be considered within the scope of the disclosure.

FIG. 5 is a communication flow diagram illustrating an exemplary rangingnegotiation phase between two devices, e.g., wireless devices 102 and104. In the illustrated example, wireless device 102 is the iSTA andwireless device 104 is the rSTA.

The iSTA 102 may transmit an initial ranging measurement request to rSTA104 (502). The request may be a fine timing measurement request, amongvarious possibilities. The request may include any of various parameterssuch as FTM parameter elements, NGP parameter elements, and/or othercontents. For example, the parameters may include bandwidths supportedor requested by the iSTA 102 for ranging measurement. The request mayinclude an indication of the ranging priority requested by iSTA 102.

The rSTA 104 may transmit an acknowledgement (ACK) to the iSTA 102(504). The acknowledgement may be transmitted in any relevant format orresources, e.g., according to 802.11 or other wireless standards. Theacknowledgement may be included in a block acknowledgement.

The rSTA 104 may transmit a response to the measurement request (506).The response may be or include an FTM measurement frame. The responsemay include FTM and/or NGP parameter elements and/or other contents. Forexample, the response may indicate resources to be used formeasurements. The response may be or include feedback about the rSTA104's intent to accommodate the ranging priority requested by the iSTA102.

The iSTA 102 may transmit an acknowledgement to the rSTA 104 (508). Theacknowledgement may be transmitted in any relevant format or resources,e.g., according to 802.11 or other wireless standards. Theacknowledgement may be included in a block acknowledgement.

The iSTA 102 and rSTA 104 may proceed to exchange any number of messagesand/or to compute range between the devices.

FIG. 6 is a table illustrating an exemplary ranging priority indicationscheme. As shown, there may be 4 ranging priority levels, e.g., whichmay be indicated in a 2 bit field. The levels may be designated critical(e.g., for the most urgent ranging needs, e.g., related to safety), high(e.g., prior to a loss of battery power), best effort (e.g., fordetermining range in a commercial outlet, e.g., for indoor navigation),or background (e.g., for routine location logging, e.g., updating alocation database).

FIG. 7 is a table illustrating an alternative exemplary ranging priorityindication scheme. As shown, there may 2 ranging priority levels, e.g.,which may be indicated in a 1 bit field. The levels may be designatedcritical (e.g., for high time sensitive ranging) or non-critical (e.g.,for low time sensitivity ranging).

Note that FIGS. 6 and 7 are illustrative only and that numerous possibleranging priority indication schemes may be used. For example, differentnumbers of ranging priority levels may be used and/or they may bedesignated differently.

In the following, exemplary embodiments are provided.

In one set of embodiments an apparatus, comprising a processing elementmay be configured to cause a first wireless device to: determine aranging priority; transmit a ranging measurement request to a secondwireless device; and transmit a ranging priority indication to thesecond wireless device, wherein the ranging priority is associated withthe ranging measurement request.

In some embodiments, the processing element may be further configured tocause the first wireless device to: receive feedback from the secondwireless device, wherein the feedback is in response to the rangingpriority indication.

In some embodiments, the processing element may be further configured tocause the first wireless device to: in response to the feedback,terminate the ranging measurement request.

In some embodiments, the ranging priority may be determined based atleast in part on one or more applications executing on the firstwireless device.

In some embodiments, determining the ranging priority may be furtherbased at least in part on the status of at least one of the one or moreapplications (e.g., an emergency call) executing on the first wirelessdevice.

In some embodiments, the ranging priority may be determined based atleast in part on a battery level of the first wireless device.

In some embodiments, the ranging priority may be determined based atleast in part on a location of the first device.

In some embodiments, the processing element may be further configured tocause the first wireless device to: determine a second ranging priority;and transmit a second ranging priority indication to the second wirelessdevice.

In one set of embodiments, a first wireless device, may comprise: anantenna; a radio operably coupled to the antenna; and a processingelement operably coupled to the radio; wherein the antenna, radio, andprocessing element are configured to: determine a ranging priority;transmit a request for a ranging session to a second wireless device;transmit an indication of the ranging priority to the second wirelessdevice, wherein the ranging priority is associated with the rangingsession with the second wireless device; and perform the ranging sessionwith the second wireless device.

In some embodiments, the indication of the ranging priority may specifya requested time for completion of the ranging session.

In some embodiments, the indication of the ranging priority may specifya level of priority of the ranging session.

In some embodiments, the indication of the ranging priority may betransmitted with the request for the ranging session.

In some embodiments, the indication may be transmitted in a field orsubfield of a frame associated with a wireless local area network.

In some embodiments, the indication may be transmitted in a field orsubfield of an information element or an information sub-elementassociated with a wireless local area network.

In another set of embodiments, an apparatus, may comprise a processingelement configured to cause a second wireless device to: receive aranging measurement request from a first wireless device; receive anindication of a requested ranging priority from the first wirelessdevice; determine a granted ranging priority based at least in part onthe requested ranging priority; and perform ranging measurement with thefirst wireless device according to the granted ranging priority.

In some embodiments, the processing element may be further configured tocause the second wireless device to: maintain a queue of rangingmeasurement requests; and add the ranging measurement request from thefirst wireless device to the queue in a position determined based on thegranted ranging priority.

In some embodiments, to perform ranging measurement with the firstwireless device according to the granted ranging priority, theprocessing element may be further configured to schedule rangingmeasurements with the first wireless device based on comparing thegranted ranging priority to at least one relative granted rangingpriority of at least one other ranging measurement request.

In some embodiments, the processing element may be further configured tocause the second wireless device to: reserve resources for high rangingpriority ranging sessions, wherein to perform ranging measurement withthe first wireless device according to the granted ranging priority,comprises: in response to determining that the granted ranging priorityis a high ranging priority, schedule ranging measurements with the firstwireless device on at least a portion of the reserved resources; or inresponse to determining that the granted ranging priority is not a highranging priority, schedule ranging measurements with the first wirelessdevice on non-reserved resources.

In some embodiments, the processing element may be further configured tocause the second wireless device to: transmit an indication of thegranted ranging priority to the first wireless device.

In some embodiments, the processing element may be further configured tocause the second wireless device to: schedule data traffic based on thegranted ranging priority.

Another exemplary embodiment may include a wireless device, comprising:an antenna; a radio coupled to the antenna; and a processing elementoperably coupled to the radio, wherein the device is configured toimplement any or all parts of the preceding examples.

A further exemplary set of embodiments may include a non-transitorycomputer accessible memory medium comprising program instructions which,when executed at a device, cause the device to implement any or allparts of any of the preceding examples.

A still further exemplary set of embodiments may include a computerprogram comprising instructions for performing any or all parts of anyof the preceding examples.

Yet another exemplary set of embodiments may include an apparatuscomprising means for performing any or all of the elements of any of thepreceding examples.

In addition to the above-described exemplary embodiments, furtherembodiments of the present disclosure may be realized in any of variousforms. For example, some embodiments may be realized as acomputer-implemented method, a computer-readable memory medium, or acomputer system. Other embodiments may be realized using one or morecustom-designed hardware devices such as ASICs. Still other embodimentsmay be realized using one or more programmable hardware elements such asFPGAs.

In some embodiments, a non-transitory computer-readable memory mediummay be configured so that it stores program instructions and/or data,where the program instructions, if executed by a computer system, causethe computer system to perform a method, e.g., any of a methodembodiments described herein, or, any combination of the methodembodiments described herein, or, any subset of any of the methodembodiments described herein, or, any combination of such subsets.

In some embodiments, a device (e.g., a wireless device 102 or 104) maybe configured to include a processor (or a set of processors) and amemory medium, where the memory medium stores program instructions,where the processor is configured to read and execute the programinstructions from the memory medium, where the program instructions areexecutable to implement any of the various method embodiments describedherein (or, any combination of the method embodiments described herein,or, any subset of any of the method embodiments described herein, or,any combination of such subsets). The device may be realized in any ofvarious forms.

As described above, aspects of the present technology may include thegathering and use of data available from various sources, e.g., toimprove or enhance functionality. The present disclosure contemplatesthat in some instances, this gathered data may include personalinformation data that uniquely identifies or can be used to contact orlocate a specific person. Such personal information data can includedemographic data, location-based data, telephone numbers, emailaddresses, Twitter ID's, home addresses, data or records relating to auser's health or level of fitness (e.g., vital signs measurements,medication information, exercise information), date of birth, or anyother identifying or personal information. The present disclosurerecognizes that the use of such personal information data, in thepresent technology, may be used to the benefit of users.

The present disclosure contemplates that the entities responsible forthe collection, analysis, disclosure, transfer, storage, or other use ofsuch personal information data will comply with well-established privacypolicies and/or privacy practices. In particular, such entities shouldimplement and consistently use privacy policies and practices that aregenerally recognized as meeting or exceeding industry or governmentalrequirements for maintaining personal information data private andsecure. Such policies should be easily accessible by users, and shouldbe updated as the collection and/or use of data changes. Personalinformation from users should be collected for legitimate and reasonableuses of the entity and not shared or sold outside of those legitimateuses. Further, such collection/sharing should only occur after receivingthe informed consent of the users. Additionally, such entities shouldconsider taking any needed steps for safeguarding and securing access tosuch personal information data and ensuring that others with access tothe personal information data adhere to their privacy policies andprocedures. Further, such entities can subject themselves to evaluationby third parties to certify their adherence to widely accepted privacypolicies and practices. In addition, policies and practices should beadapted for the particular types of personal information data beingcollected and/or accessed and adapted to applicable laws and standards,including jurisdiction-specific considerations. For instance, in the US,collection of, or access to, certain health data may be governed byfederal and/or state laws, such as the Health Insurance Portability andAccountability Act (HIPAA); whereas health data in other countries maybe subject to other regulations and policies and should be handledaccordingly. Hence different privacy practices should be maintained fordifferent personal data types in each country.

Despite the foregoing, the present disclosure also contemplatesembodiments in which users selectively block the use of, or access to,personal information data. That is, the present disclosure contemplatesthat hardware and/or software elements can be provided to prevent orblock access to such personal information data. For example, the presenttechnology may be configurable to allow users to selectively “opt in” or“opt out” of participation in the collection of personal informationdata, e.g., during registration for services or anytime thereafter. Inaddition to providing “opt in” and “opt out” options, the presentdisclosure contemplates providing notifications relating to the accessor use of personal information. For instance, a user may be notifiedupon downloading an app that their personal information data will beaccessed and then reminded again just before personal information datais accessed by the app.

Moreover, it is the intent of the present disclosure that personalinformation data should be managed and handled in a way to minimizerisks of unintentional or unauthorized access or use. Risk can beminimized by limiting the collection of data and deleting data once itis no longer needed. In addition, and when applicable, including incertain health related applications, data de-identification can be usedto protect a user's privacy. De-identification may be facilitated, whenappropriate, by removing specific identifiers (e.g., date of birth,etc.), controlling the amount or specificity of data stored (e.g.,collecting location data at city level rather than at an address level),controlling how data is stored (e.g., aggregating data across users),and/or other methods.

Therefore, although the present disclosure may broadly cover use ofpersonal information data to implement one or more various disclosedembodiments, the present disclosure also contemplates that the variousembodiments can also be implemented without the need for accessing suchpersonal information data. That is, the various embodiments of thepresent technology are not rendered inoperable due to the lack of all ora portion of such personal information data.

Although the embodiments above have been described in considerabledetail, numerous variations and modifications will become apparent tothose skilled in the art once the above disclosure is fully appreciated.It is intended that the following claims be interpreted to embrace allsuch variations and modifications.

What is claimed is:
 1. An initiating wireless device, comprising: aradio; and a processor operably coupled to the radio; wherein theprocessor is configured to cause the initiating wireless device to:determine a time sensitivity for a ranging operation; generate a rangingpriority subfield including a ranging priority value representing thetime sensitivity for the ranging operation; and transmit an initial finetiming measurement request frame (IFTMR) to a responding wirelessdevice, wherein the IFTMR includes the ranging priority subfieldincluding the ranging priority value representing the time sensitivityfor the ranging operation.
 2. The initiating wireless device of claim 1,wherein the ranging priority value representing the time sensitivity forthe ranging operation comprises a first ranging priority value of fourpossible ranging priority values.
 3. The initiating wireless device ofclaim 2, wherein the first ranging priority value indicates that theranging operation is associated with emergency services.
 4. Theinitiating wireless device of claim 1, wherein the ranging priorityvalue comprises two bits.
 5. The initiating wireless device of claim 1,wherein the processor is further configured to cause the initiatingwireless device to receive a fine timing measurement (FTM) frame inresponse to the IFTMR.
 6. The initiating wireless device of claim 5,wherein the FTM frame indicates one of: the ranging operation will beperformed according to the ranging priority subfield; or the rangingoperation will not be performed according to the ranging prioritysubfield.
 7. An apparatus, comprising: a processor, configured to causean initiating wireless device to: determine a time sensitivity for aranging operation; generate a ranging priority subfield including aranging priority value representing the time sensitivity for the rangingoperation; and transmit an initial fine timing measurement request frame(IFTMR) to a responding wireless device, wherein the IFTMR includes theranging priority subfield including the ranging priority valuerepresenting the time sensitivity for the ranging operation.
 8. Theapparatus of claim 7, wherein the ranging priority value representingthe time sensitivity for the ranging operation comprises a first rangingpriority value of four possible ranging priority values.
 9. Theapparatus of claim 8, wherein the first ranging priority value indicatesthat the ranging operation is associated with emergency services. 10.The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the ranging priority subfieldcomprises two bits.
 11. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the processoris further configured to cause the initiating wireless device to receivea fine timing measurement (FTM) frame in response to the IFTMR.
 12. Theapparatus of claim 11, wherein the FTM frame indicates one of: theranging operation will be performed according to the ranging priorityvalue; or the ranging operation will not be performed according to theranging priority value.
 13. An apparatus, comprising: a processor,configured to cause an responding wireless device to: receive, from aninitiating wireless device, an initial fine timing measurement requestframe (IFTMR), wherein the IFTMR includes a ranging priority subfieldincluding a ranging priority value representing a time sensitivity for aranging operation; and determine whether to perform the rangingoperation with the initiating wireless device according to the rangingpriority value.
 14. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the processor isfurther configured to cause the responding wireless device to transmit,to the initiating wireless device, a fine timing measurement (FTM) framein response to the IFTMR.
 15. The apparatus of claim 14, wherein the FTMframe indicates one of: the ranging operation will be performedaccording to the ranging priority value; or the ranging operation willnot be performed according to the ranging priority value.
 16. Theapparatus of claim 13, wherein the ranging priority value representingthe time sensitivity comprises a first ranging priority value of fourpossible ranging priority values.
 17. The apparatus of claim 16, whereinthe first ranging priority value indicates that the ranging operation isassociated with emergency services.
 18. The apparatus of claim 13,wherein the ranging priority value comprises two bits.
 19. The apparatusof claim 13, wherein the processor is further configured to cause theresponding wireless device to perform the ranging operation according tothe determination.
 20. The apparatus of claim 13, wherein the processoris further configured to cause the responding wireless device to:reserve resources for high priority spatial measurement sessions; and inresponse to determining that the ranging operation will be performedaccording to the ranging priority value, schedule ranging operation onat least a portion of the reserved resources.